Native Advertising

Native advertising is one of the least obtrusive digital media buying options available – the chameleon of the ad world, per se. Native ads are paid content that takes on the shape and tone of the content around it. 

  • In a magazine, this would be similar to an advertorial. It’s paid content created to look like a story you’d find from that publication. 
  • In the digital world, this can be an article, infographic, or video. If you can create the content, you can find people willing to let you promote it on their platform. 

Users may never realize they’re viewing an ad at all because the ad will utilize text and graphics similar to the organic content surrounding it. This can help prevent ad fatigue. Native ads can be found on several large publishing platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Time, USA Today and Amazon. 

native-ads
native ads on mobile and tablet

What makes native ads unique?

What makes this type of ad buy unique is that there are no standard, defined rules or guidelines on how publishers must label native ads. This will vary from website to website. Labels can range widely, but the most common are: Sponsored, Sponsored Content, Promoted, Recommended by [Brand], Ad, or Promoted Listings. Though, all ads must comply with the FTC advertising guidelines. Advertisers should never attempt to deceive users, and ads should be clearly labeled as such. 

The Content Marketing Institute has defined 3 principles of native advertising: 

  • They are a direct-paid opportunity. Native advertising is pay to play. Brands pay for the placement of content on platforms outside of their owned media properties.
  • They’re typically information-based rather than overtly product-focused. Ideally, the content in a native campaign should be useful, interesting, and highly targeted to the media channel’s audience.
  • They’re delivered in stream. Native advertising doesn’t disrupt the user experience because it’s featured in a way that does not impede the user’s normal behavior on that channel.

Types of Native Ads

Native advertising is more a style of ad than a platform. The inconspicuous nature of this ad type makes it a great way to distribute high-quality content to consumers who may not follow or be familiar with your business or brand. Native advertising traditionally has a higher click through rate than display ads because they’re relevant to what the user is already interested in and consuming. Therefore, they’re more likely to be shared organically. 

You can find native ads on a mix of other digital advertising platforms. For example: 

  • Social media ads that appear within the feed of organic content 
  • Branded Snapchat filters
  • Search ads and promoted listings on Google SERPs
  • Content recommendations at the bottom of articles on top publishing sites
  • Recommended products on Amazon
ads on mobile phone

How Back40 Can Help

Our digital marketing experts strategically and programmatically buy native ad placements on highly-trafficked websites that relate to your ideal customer’s interests. We create content that is a clever mix of your messaging and valuable content the user will appreciate and want to share with others. Coupled with content marketing and other digital ad buys, native advertising can be a cost-effective way to broadcast your content to a large audience. Contact us to schedule your one-on-one consultation with our digital marketing experts to discuss the best tactics for your business. 

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